Watch CBS News

Santa Rosa Police Arrest Man Who Allegedly Stole Hearse Outside Church

SANTA ROSA (CBS SF) -- A 23-year-old transient faces charges of grand theft auto and probation violation Saturday afternoon after allegedly stealing a hearse that had just been used to deliver a casket to a mortuary, Santa Rosa police said Saturday.

Officers said that at about 2:10 p.m. Saturday, a hearse owned by the Windsor Healdsburg Mortuary in Windsor was used to deliver a casket to St. Rose Catholic Church on 10th Street in Santa Rosa in preparation for a service. When mortuary staff came back outside, their hearse was gone, police said.

Transient Man Steals Hearse in Santa Rosa
Santa Rosa police recovered a hearse allegedly stolen by a transient man.

The staffers called police, who found the hearse about 40 minutes later at the Motel 6 in the 3100 block of Cleveland Avenue in Santa Rosa, police said. When a man tried to drive away in the hearse, officers stopped the long, black Cadillac in the motel parking lot.

Taken into custody was Alberto Torres-Morales, described by police as a Santa Rosa-area transient He was booked into the Sonoma County Jail on suspicion of auto theft, grand theft auto and probation violation.

© Copyright 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. and Bay City News. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.